Judges 2:13 — Word Study
WLCוַיַּעַזְב֖וּ אֶת־ יְהוָ֑ה וַיַּעַבְד֥וּ לַבַּ֖עַל וְלָעַשְׁתָּרֽוֹת׃
BSAfor they forsookʻâzab▸ [abandoned, turned away from] HimYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah] and servedʻâbad▸ [worshiped, became slaves to] BaalBaʻal [the Phoenician deity, a false god] and the AshtorethsʻAshtârôwth [Ashtaroth, the Sidonian goddess, associated with stars]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיַּעַזְב֖וּ | and they forsook | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| אֶת־ | the object marker | Particle |
| יְהוָ֑ה | Yahweh | Noun proper |
| וַיַּעַבְד֥וּ | and they served | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| לַבַּ֖עַל | the Baal | Preposition, noun |
| וְלָעַשְׁתָּרֽוֹת׃ | and the Ashtaroth | Conjunction, preposition, noun common feminine plural absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. |
| KJV | And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. |
| ASV | And they forsook Jehovah, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth. |
| YLT | yea, they forsake Jehovah, and do service to Baal and to Ashtaroth. |
| WEB | They abandoned Yahweh, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth. |
| BBE | And they gave up the Lord, and became the servants of Baal and the Astartes. |
Where they part company is עָזַב — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence begins with a main clause followed by two actions connected by conjunctions, illustrating the sequence of forsaking and serving.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbעָזַב
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Judges 2:13
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Israel's Disobediencegenerated
Judges 2:13 describes how the Israelites forsook Yahweh, the God who delivered them from Egypt, and instead chose to serve the false gods of the surrounding nations. This act of turning away signifies a breach of their covenant relationship with God, leading to dire consequences as seen in the surrounding verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Judges 2:11 | And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. |
| 2 | Judges 3:7 | So the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. |
| 3 | Judges 10:6 | And again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD. They served the Baals, the Ashtoreths, the gods of Aram, Sidon, and Moab, and the gods of the Ammonites and Philistines. Thus they forsook the LORD and did not serve Him. |
| 4 | 1 Samuel 31:10 | They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and hung his body on the wall of Beth-shan. |
| 5 | 1 Kings 11:5–33 | Solomon followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — עָזַב, vai.ya.'az.Vugenerated
The verb עָזַב (azav) means to forsake or abandon, indicating a deliberate choice to turn away from something. Its parsing as a sequential imperfect third person masculine plural verb shows that this action was carried out by the Israelites as a collective decision.
This term conveys a sense of relinquishing a relationship or commitment, as seen in its frequent usage throughout the Old Testament. The act of forsaking Yahweh highlights the gravity of their disobedience and the resulting spiritual decline.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main action is governed by two finite verbs: יַּעַזְב֖וּ (they forsook) and יַּעַבְד֥וּ (they served). The sentence structure emphasizes the sequence of actions — first forsaking Yahweh and then serving other gods.
The verbs are followed by their respective objects, with the structure highlighting the direct relationship between the actions and their consequences.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates עָזַב as ἐγκατέλιπον (egkatelipon), which means 'to leave behind' or 'to abandon'. This choice reflects a similar meaning but may emphasize the finality of the abandonment.
The translation of וַיַּעַבְד֥וּ as ἐλάτρευσαν (elatreusan) indicates a strong connotation of worship, aligning with the original Hebrew meaning of serving or becoming enslaved to a deity.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Judges 2:13 tells us that the Israelites turned away from Yahweh, abandoning Him to serve the false gods Baal and the Ashtaroth. This action signifies a rejection of their covenant with God, leading to spiritual and physical consequences.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Forsaking Yahweh means that the Israelites chose to abandon their relationship with God, turning instead to worship false gods.
Baal is a Phoenician deity, while the Ashtaroth refers to a Sidonian goddess associated with fertility and stars.
The consequences included God's anger towards Israel and their subsequent oppression by surrounding nations.
This event illustrates the recurring cycle of disobedience and repentance that characterizes the book of Judges, highlighting Israel's struggle to remain faithful to Yahweh.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What are some ways I might be tempted to turn away from my commitments to God?
- How can I ensure that I remain faithful in my worship and service to God?
- What lessons can I learn from Israel's disobedience that apply to my life today?
- In what ways can I encourage others to stay committed to their faith?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Judges 2:13 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd they forsook the Lord,.... The worship of the Lord, as the Targum; this is repeated to observe the heinous sin they were guilty of, and how displeasing it was to God: and served Baal and
Read John Gill on Judges 2 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. Ashtaroth - also a plural word, denoting all the female divinities, especially Astarte, the Syrian Venus, whose rites were celebrated by the
Read Robert Jamieson on Judges 2 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Biblei.e. The sun and the moon, whom many heathens worshipped, though under divers names; and so they ran into that error which God had so expressly warned them against, .
Read Matthew Poole on Judges 2 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJudges 2:13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.Ver. 13. And served Baal and Ashtaroth,] i.e., He-gods and she-gods of all sorts, closing up their orisons with, Diique, deaque, omnes, as Servius telleth us. From this word Ashtaroth seemeth to come the Greek word áóôçñ, and the Latin astrum, a star: as Saturn, Jupiter, Luna, Pallas, &c., came from the Hebrew. In Georg, lib. i.
Read John Trapp on Judges 2 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(13) Baal and Ashtaroth.—Literally, “the Baals and the Ashtareths.” Ashtaroth.—The plural of the feminine word Ash-tareth, or Astarte, “the goddess of the Sidonians” (1 Kings 11:5), the Phœnician Venus—identified sometimes with the moon (e.g., in the name Ashtaroth Karnaim, “the city of the two-horned moon,” the name of Og’s capital, Deuteronomy 1:4), and sometimes with the planet Venus (2 Kings 23:4; Cic. De Nat. Deor. 3:23; Euseb. Praep. Evang. i. 10). She is called the “queen of heaven,” in Jeremiah 7:10; Jeremiah 44:17, and was called Baalti (“my lady”) by the Phœnicians. The plural form may be, as Ewald thinks, the plural of excellence, or like Baalim an allusion to the different forms…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Judges 2 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 13. Served Baal and Ashtaroth.] In a general way, probably, Baal and Ashtaroth mean the sun and moon; but in many cases Ashtaroth seems to have been the same among the Canaanites as Venus was among the Greeks and Romans, and to have been worshipped with the same obscene rites.
Read AdamClarke on Judges 2 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges13. This verse repeats the substance of Jdg 2:12; it continues Judges 2:10 and leads on to Judges 2:20. The repetition is explained if the verse belongs to E; for the expression forsook the Lord in E cf. Joshua 24:20, Deuteronomy 31:16. served Baal and the Ashtaroth] Once settled in Canaan, the Israelites could not resist the temptation to adopt the worship of the native deities, on whom the prosperity of flocks and fields was supposed to depend. The God of Israel came from the desert; in the early days of the settlement His home was believed to be in Sinai rather than in Canaan (Judges 5:4 f.); hence the popular religion, without ceasing to regard Jehovah as the God of Israel, felt it…
Read Cambridge on Judges 2 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible13. Ashtaroth — This is the plural form of Ashtoreth, the Venus of Syria, whose rites were more filthy and abominable than even those of the Grecian Venus, whose temple, with its thousand female
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Judges 2 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.
They abandoned Yahweh, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.
for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.
They abandoned the Lord and worshiped Baal and the Ashtars.
Tyndale line
And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
And they forsook Jehovah, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.
And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.
And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
So they forsooke the Lord, and serued Baal, and Ashtaroth.
Strictly literal
And they forsook Jehovah, and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.
yea, they forsake Jehovah, and do service to Baal and to Ashtaroth.
indeed, they forsake YHWH, and do service to Ba‘al and to Ashtaroth.
And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and 'Ashtaroth.
they broke away from Yahweh and worshiped Baal and the Ashtoreths.
From the Latin
Forsaking him, and serving Baal and Astaroth.
Simplified
They deserted the Lord and worshiped Baal and Ashtaroth idols.
And they gave up the Lord, and became the servants of Baal and the Astartes.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text states, וַיַּעַזְב֖וּ אֶת־ יְהוָ֑ה וַיַּעַבְד֥וּ לַבַּ֖עַל וְלָעַשְׁתָּרֽוֹת׃, which aligns closely with the Septuagint's translation, although the word order differs. The Septuagint captures the essence of the Hebrew text, maintaining the same key terms.
וַיַּעַזְב֖וּ אֶת־ יְהוָ֑ה וַיַּעַבְד֥וּ לַבַּ֖עַל וְלָעַשְׁתָּרֽוֹת׃
5 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Judges 2:13
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
עָזַב (azab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to leave, forsake, or let loose. It encompasses a range of actions from abandoning or neglecting to setting free. The entries suggest it can also imply restoration or repair, though this aspect is less emphasized. Notably, the term can describe both active and passive states, such as being forsaken or deserted.
עָזַב 213 vb. leave, forsake, loose
Qal
leave, c. acc.
leave, abandon, forsake
let loose, set free, let go
Niph.
be left to
be forsaken, of house of God
H5800a עָזַב leave, forsake, loose .. leave, c. acc.
. leave, abandon, forsake
. let loose, set free, let go
. . be left to
. be forsaken, of house of God
. (or Qal pass.) be deserted, of city
H5800b עָזַב restore, repair(?)
5800 `azab aw-zab'
a primitive root; to loosen, i.e. relinquish, permit,
etc.:--commit self, fail, forsake, fortify, help, leave
(destitute, off), refuse, X surely.
עָזַב (a.zav) — to leave: forsake.
1) to leave, loose, forsake
1a) (Qal) to leave
1a1) to depart from, leave behind, leave, let alone
1a2) to leave, abandon, forsake, neglect, apostatise
1a3) to let loose, set free, let go, free
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be left to
1b2) to be forsaken
1c) (Pual) to be deserted
עָזַב (a.zav) — to restore.
1) to restore, repair
1a) (Qal) to repair
עָזַב (a.zav) — to leave: release.
1) to leave, loose, forsake
1a) (Qal) to leave
1a1) to depart from, leave behind, leave, let alone
1a2) to leave, abandon, forsake, neglect, apostatise
1a3) to let loose, set free, let go, free
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be left to
1b2) to be forsaken
1c) (Pual) to be deserted
עָזַב (a.zav) — Forsaken.
This name means to restore, repair
Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
עָזַב (a.zav) — to leave: neglect.
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine pluralHc/Vqw3mp
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HTo — ParticleHTo
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'
יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)
יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb
יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D
the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy
יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh
base
H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel
3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'
from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish
national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.
see HEBREW for 01961
see HEBREW for 03050
see HEBREW for 03069
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.
Jehovah = "the existing One"
1) the proper name of the one true God
1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.
Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.
Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
N-proper — Noun properHNpt
עָבַד (abad) is a Hebrew verb meaning to work or serve, encompassing a range of activities from laboring for others to serving God, including Levitical service. It can also refer to the cultivation of land or the act of enslaving. The word appears in various forms, indicating different nuances of service and labor.
עָבַד 290 vb. work, serve
Qal
labour, work, do work
work for another, serve him by labour
serve as subjects
serve God
serve י׳ with Levitical service
Niph.
be tilled, of land
dub. cultivated field
Pu. worked
Hiph.
compel to labour as slaves
make to serve as subjects
cause to serve God
Hoph. be led or enticed to serve
base
H5647 עָבַד work, serve .. labour, work, do work
. work for another, serve him by labour
. serve as subjects
. serve God
. serve י׳ with Levitical service
. . be tilled, of land
. dub. cultivated field
. worked
. . compel to labour as slaves
. make to serve as subjects
. cause to serve God
. be led or enticed to serve
5647 `abad aw-bad'
a primitive root; to work (in any sense); by implication, to
serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.:--X be, keep in
bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear,
execute, + husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass,
(cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become)
servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er), transgress (from
margin), (set a) work, be wrought, worshipper,
עָבַד (a.vad) — to serve.
: serve[someone]
1) to work, serve
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to labour, work, do work
1a2) to work for another, serve another by labour
1a3) to serve as subjects
1a4) to serve (God)
1a5) to serve (with Levitical service)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be worked, be tilled (of land)
1b2) to make oneself a servant
1c) (Pual) to be worked
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to compel to labour or work, cause to labour, cause to serve
1d2) to cause to serve as subjects
1e) (Hophal) to be led or enticed to serve
עָבַד (a.vad) — to serve: minister.
: minister/serve[God/tabernacle/temple]/worship
1) to work, serve
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to labour, work, do work
1a2) to work for another, serve another by labour
1a3) to serve as subjects
1a4) to serve (God)
1a5) to serve (with Levitical service)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be worked, be tilled (of land)
1b2) to make oneself a servant
1c) (Pual) to be worked
1d) (Hiphil)
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine pluralHc/Vqw3mp
בַּעַל (ba'al) means 'owner' or 'lord' and is notably used as a divine name for Baal, a Phoenician deity. It can refer to husbands, rulers, and inhabitants as well. The term also denotes specific individuals and locations, including a town in Simeon and men from the tribes of Benjamin and Reuben. The entries consistently emphasize its meaning as 'lord'.
בַּעַל 166 n.m. owner, lord
owner
husband
citizens, inhabitants
rulers, lords
n. of relation
Esp. lord, specif. as divine name, Baal.
base
בַּ֫עַל
n.pr.loc. city in tribe of Simeon
n.pr.m.
a Reubenite
a Gibeonite
base
H1168 בַּ֫עַל owner, lord . . owner
. husband
. citizens, inhabitants
. rulers, lords
. n. of relation
. lord, specif. as divine name, Baal.
1168 Ba`al bah'-al
the same as 1167; Baal, a Phoenician deity:--Baal, (plural)
Baalim.
see HEBREW for 01167
בַּעַל (ba.al) — Baal.
§ Baal = "lord"
esp. lord, specif. as divine name, Baal
supreme male divinity of the Phoenicians or Canaanites
בַּ֫עַל (ba.al) — Baal.
A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.8.30;
son of: Abiel (H0022) and Maacah (H4601N);
brother of: Kish (H7027), Ner (H5369), Abdon (H5658J), Zur (H6698I), Nadab (H5070J), Gedor (H1446I), Ahio (H0283I), Zecher (H2144) and Mikloth (H4732)
§ Baal = "lord"
בַּ֫עַל (ba.al) — Baal.
A man of the tribe of Reuben living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.5.5;
son of: Reaiah (H7211);
father of: Beerah (H0880)
§ Baal = "lord"
בַּ֫עַל (ba.al) — Baal.
Baal = "lord"
a town of Simeon, probably identical to Baalath-beer
Another name of ba.a.lat be.er (בַּעֲלַת בְּאֵר "Baalath-beer" H1192)
בַּעַל (ba.al) — (Bamoth)-baal.
Baal = "lord"
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · nounHRd/Ntmsa
Baal
Lord. (1.) The name appropriated to the principal male god of the Phoenicians. It is found in several places in the plural BAALIM (Judg. 2:11; 10:10; 1 Kings 18:18; Jer. 2:23; Hos. 2:17). Baal is identified with Molech (Jer. 19:5). It was known to the Israelites as Baal-peor (Num. 25:3; Deut. 4:3), was worshipped till the time of Samuel (1 Sam 7:4), and was afterwards the religion of the ten tribes in the time of Ahab (
geographical. This word occurs as the prefix or suffix to the names of several places in Palestine, some of which are as follows: BAAL a town of Simeon, named only in (1 Chronicles 4:33) which from the parallel list in (Joshua 19:8) seems to have been identical with BAALATH-BEER. BAALAH (mistress). A. Another name for KIRJATH-JEARIM, or KIRJATH BAAL, the well-known town now Kuriet el Enab . (Joshua 15:9,10; 1 Chronicles 13:6) b. A town in the south of Judah, (Joshua 15:29) which in Josh 19:3 Is called BALAH, and in the parallel list, (
Lord,
1. In the Old Testament denotes an idol of the Phoenicians, and particularly of the Tyrians, whose worship was also introduced with great solemnities among the Hebrews, and especially at Samaria, along with that of Astarte, Jud 6:25-32 2Ki 10:18,28. See ASHTORETH, plural ASH’TAROTH. The plural, Baalim, signifies images or statues of Baal, Jud 2:11 10:10. Of the extent to which the worship of this idol was domesticated among the Phoenicians and Carthaginians, we have an evidence in the proper names of persons; as, among the former, Ethbaal, Jerubbaal; and among the latter, Hannibal, Asdrubal, etc. Among the Babylonians, the same idol was worshipped under the name of BEL, which is only another form of the word Baal,
master; lord
עַשְׁתָּרוֹת (Ashtarowth) refers to both a Sidonian deity associated with fertility and a location east of the Jordan River. It is the plural form of עַשְׁתָּרוֹת (Ashtaroth), which means 'star.' The entries highlight its significance in Canaanite religion and its mention as a city in Bashan.
עַשְׁתָּרוֹת E. of Jordan
base
H6252 עַשְׁתָּרוֹת E. of Jordan
6252 `Ashtarowth ash-taw-roth'
or bAshtaroth {ash-taw-roth'}; plural of 6251; Ashtaroth, the
name of a Sidonian deity, and of a place East of the
Jordan:--Asharoth, Astaroth. See also 1045, 6253, 6255.
see HEBREW for 06251
see HEBREW for 01045
see HEBREW for 06253
see HEBREW for 06255
עַשְׁתָּרוֹת (ash.ta.rot) — Ashtaroth.
§ Ashtaroth or Astaroth = "star"
false goddesses in the Canaanite religion, usually related to fertility cult
עַשְׁתָּרוֹת (ash.ta.rot) — Ashtaroth.
§ Ashtaroth or Astaroth = "star"
a city in Bashan east of the Jordan given to Manasseh
Conj | Prep | N-proper — Conjunction · preposition · noun common feminine plural absoluteHC/Rd/Ncfpa
Plural of Ashtoreth. See ASHTORETH.
Ashtaroth
A city of Bashan, in the kingdom of Og (Deut. 1:4; Josh. 12:4; 13:12; 9:10). It was in the half-tribe of Manasseh (Josh. 13:12), and as a Levitical city was given to the Gershonites (1 Chr. 6:71). Uzzia, one of David’s valiant men (1 Chr. 11:44), is named as of this city. It is identified with Tell Ashterah, in the Hauran, and is noticed on monuments B.C. 1700-1500. The name Beesh-terah (Josh. 21:27) is a contraction for Beth-eshterah, i.e., “the house of Ashtaroth.”
and once As’taroth (a star), a city on the east of Jordan in Bashan, in the kingdom of Og, doubtless so called from being a seat of the worship of the goddess of the same name. (1:4; Joshua 9:10; 12:4; 13:12)
Ashtoreth, flocks; sheep; riches